Istanbul’s Little Giants

ARE YOU AWARE OF ISTANBUL’S LITTLE KNOWN BUT FASCINATING MINI FESTIVALS? We could call them Istanbul’s little giants. A number of very small festivals you’ve perhaps you’ve never even heard of, but that are trail blazers in their own fields, are held in Istanbul every year. Mounted on extremely modest budgets, they nevertheless succeed in drawing prominent Turkish and international guest speakers and artists.

Held since 2007, amberFestival is Turkey’s first festival of electronic art. Organized around a specific theoretical concept every year, amberFestival has as this year’s theme, Next Ecology. For more information about this festival, November 4 to 13:www.amberfestival.org

Making a big splash last year when it screened the award-winning film Logorama, which captured the Oscar for Best Short Animation Film in 2010, the Istanbul Animation Festival is awaiting animated film buffs again November 22 to 27. For more information about this fun-filled festival: www.iafistanbul.com

Another small festival that manages to attract participants from countries all over the world is the Istanbul Short Film Festival, which also includes an international competition. For more information about this festival that is welcoming short film buffs November 23 to 30: www.istanbulfilmfestival.com